Cheap Shopping in Bangkok
Bangkok is a relatively cheap city. The hotels, even the really nice ones, aren’t all that expensive, especially not when compared to how much they cost in nearby countries.
The food is pretty cheap too, especially the street food for which Bangkok is renowned. The city has long been known as a shopper’s paradise. It’s where you can buy pretty much anything in volume. But as the country progresses economically, so do the standards and cost of living.
While you can certainly find good deals, you can also end up spending heftily if choose to do so.
The city is home to a number of high-end shopping complexes, so there’s a lot of opportunity for people in Bangkok — whether they’re there permanently or just visiting — to part with their money. But what if you’re someone who’s looking to scratch their itch to purchase goods but doesn’t want to completely break the bank?
Bangkok’s got a couple of popular options for shoppers looking for some good deals.
Chatuchak Weekend Market
The first place to find some truly cheap goods for sale is Chatuchak Weekend Market. With over 15,000 stalls between more 11,000 vendors divided into 27 sections, you’ll find plenty of goods here at rock bottom prices.
Clothing? You’ll find it here. Ceramics? Here. Toys? Books? Yes and yes. You may even find wildlife here, though you probably shouldn’t because there’s a chance that it might be illegal. As a note, bring cash when you come by. Many vendors only take cash and ATMs are few and far between.
As the name implies, the market is only fully open during the weekend, though select areas are open at other times. The plant section is open on Wednesday and Thursday from 7am to 6pm, the wholesale section is open on Fridays from 6pm to 12pm. On Saturdays and Sundays, the entire market is open from 9am to 6pm.
Mind your things if you visit. The market attracts 200,000 visitors every weekend and there’s virtually no chance that all of them will have good intentions. So be careful lest you lose your wallet or your mobile phone.
PRATUNAM MARKET
Photo by Kim Seng on Flickr | CC YY
Textiles, clothes, footwear, and even low-end electronics such as laptops and mobile phones. These are things that you’ll find at Pratunam market. If you’re taking a guided tour of the city, then you may stop at this market as it is a popular stop on many such tours. If circumstance permits you to choose the time you visit, pick the early afternoon. The shops will be fully stocked at his time.
TALAD ROT FAI SRINAKARIN NIGHT MARKET
Photo by Clive Kim on Pexels
You’ll find that night markets are a staple in many cities across East and Southeast Asia, as well as Asian districts (such as Chinatowns) all over the world. Night markets come from the medieval Tang dynasty.
Rod Fai in Bangkok is a unique night market. While it has the usual food, games, and vendors that are common across all-night markets, Rod Fai also has a vintage feel to it, because it contains memorabilia from times long past. You’ll see vintage cars next to 1950’s style leather jackets and modern motorcycle helmets.
Siam Premium Outlets
Now, if you want good deals for upmarket items, then outlet shopping is your best bet. Outlet shops work because shops can’t sell all of their items. Fashion is seasonal so when something is out of season, rather than getting thrown away, it gets sent to an outlet store when it’s sold for a reduced price.
Siam Premium Outlets is an outlet mall in Bangkok. It features 200 brands at reduced prices for consumers to spend their money on. Not only that, there are a number of dining options there as well, so customers can refuel and keep shopping.
Getting there might be hard if you’re unfamiliar with Bangkok, but there are shuttle services available to and from well-known areas and it’s also accessible via the MRT and the BTS Skytrain.
While these are but a few where you can get the most out of your budget, Bangkok has no shortage of places where you can buy high-end goods. You may even discover that despite the premium nature of these establishments, you may not end up spending as much as you would elsewhere.
ICON siam
Photo by Uwe Schwarzbach on Flickr | CC BY
Iconsiam, or sometimes ICON SIAM or ICS, is not a shopping center, not technically. Yes, it has one of the largest shopping centers in Thailand, but the ICS is technically a multi-use complex that includes not just the shopping center (which is expanding), residences, hotels, a museum, an auditorium, and a riverside park.
But the shopping center is truly something out of this world. With more than 5.6 million square feet of retail space, it’s one of the largest shopping malls in Asia and is home to a bevy of shops that range from bazaars to fast fashion to haute couture to automobile dealerships. So while the mall is glitzy, there’ll be plenty to purchase at various price points.
SIAM CENTER
Siam Center was one of Bangkok’s first shopping malls. It was built in 1973 and has undergone more than one renovation since then in order to stay modern. Here, you’ll find a wide variety of fashion, accessory, and hobby shops. This mall is located next to the Siam BTS station.
There’s an adjacent shopping center called Siam Discovery that has even more shops. Here, the sections are divided into ‘Labs’ and each of them has its own niche. There’s a lab for men, one for women, one for streetwear, one for creative things like toys, and one for digital items such as mobile phones and tablets.
CENTRAL WORLD
Photo by Uwe Schwarzbach on Flickr | CC BY
Central World, stylized as centralwOrld, is the ninth largest shopping complex in the world, with 5.9 million square feet of retail space. Before its acquisition by Central Group, the building was originally Bangkok’s World Trade Center and it was renovated into the massive complex it is today.
The expansive retail space means that shoppers such as yourself are going to find a wide variety of shops and restaurants in which to spend your money.
Now, tourists should be on the lookout for various promotions encouraging them to shop as the Thai government is actively promoting Thailand as a regional shopping destination. Some malls will offer special discounts to tourists.
Be especially watchful for stores that offer VAT Refunds for tourists as this means that if you spend more than 2000 baht in the store in a single day, you’ll get a 7 percent refund which you can claim either in the store or at the airport, provided you leave the country within 60 days of the purchase. If you’d rather get your refund within the city, you must depart the country within 14 days of getting your refund.
If the store does offer the VAT Refund, then you’ll have to fill out a form. Just make sure to present your passport. If you’re getting a refund for consumable goods, they will be sealed in a bag with the message that they were not consumed while in Thailand.
